


Home for the Holidays

by GealachGirl



Series: Holiday/winter "ficlets" 2018-19 [4]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Catholicism, Foggy Nelson Is a Good Bro, Getting Together, M/M, celebrating Christmas together, college-era, descriptions of holiday decorations, makeshift holiday plans, seeing the sights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 21:50:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17252012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GealachGirl/pseuds/GealachGirl
Summary: Foggy can't spend Christmas with the Nelsons, so he makes a plan with Matt, who also doesn't have anywhere to go and nothing else going on.





	Home for the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt: my parents are ditching me for the holidays so I'm stuck hanging around campus but then I see you reading in the library

Foggy was pissed.

He was pissed because it was December 23rd and he was still on campus, and that wasn’t going to change for all of his break this year.

His little sister had just started college and moved across the country when she did so, and his parents had decided to visit her out in Colorado, and only had the money for two plane tickets. So instead of flying her back home to New York, they decided to take a mini-vacation over Christmas, leaving Foggy at Columbia.

When they’d broken the news, he’d tried to tell himself he would get a head start on some of the books for next semester, but he knew he was lying to himself.

Now, he was at one of the coffee shops just off-campus trying to decide what he’d do for Christmas. Even though campus was dead, it was still Manhattan, New York City. Maybe he’d gift himself a flight of whiskey and go down to see the tree. Soak up some of that holiday cheer from the anonymous crowds.

And just like last year, Matt had been cagey about his plans. Last year, their first year together, Matt had gotten so uncomfortable by Foggy’s questions that he hadn’t bothered this year beyond a single inquiry. If he could trust Matt to have his phone on him, Foggy would have tried to reach out because he was sure whatever Matt’s plans were, there was no way they were out of the city.

Then he caught a glimpse of what those plans probably looked like.

The nice thing about this coffee shop was its proximity to the library, so Foggy had a perfect view of a dark head with a white cane and a backpack ducking through the doors.

“What the hell, Murdock?” Foggy muttered. He was torn between being annoyed and having a sad suspicion that this was where Matt had been last year, despite an invitation to the Nelsons’. Foggy only had one option, so he downed the remains of his mocha, thanked the baristas again, and headed to the library after his best friend.

There, he found Matt’s reading set-up for when he didn’t have access to a braille copy of something. Instead, he used his screen reader and braille display to read e-books he downloaded to his laptop. He claimed it was the best way to read long-form for him.

Curious, Foggy glanced at the screen and saw that, for once, this wasn’t a book about law. Instead it looked like fiction.

And by then Matt had realized he was there. “Foggy?”

“Hey there asshole. Why are you still on campus, and is this where you spent last Christmas?”

Matt made a face that usually preceded him being pedantic. “Well I was at Mass for most of Christmas, but yes I stayed here. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.”

It truly broke Foggy’s heart that Matt couldn’t at least go back to the orphanage — familiar ground — for the three weeks that made up their winter break, but Matt had explained that resources were always thin there and he didn’t actually want to go back for Christmas. So, it also hurt a little that he didn’t think Foggy would take him home in a heartbeat and that the Nelsons would be more than happy to welcome him.

Any other time.

“You and me both, buddy,” he replied instead, sinking into one of the big, comfortable chairs across from Matt’s. “My parents decided to spend Christmas in Colorado with my sister, so neither one of us can shack up in the Nelson household.”

Matt’s forehead creased. “I’m sorry, Foggy. It must be hard not to spend break with your family.”

“Don’t even start with me, Murdock. For the record, you should know you’re welcome at any and all Nelson holiday celebrations, and later we’re going to talk about you staying on campus without mentioning it,” Foggy said. “But now it looks like we get to spend Christmas together after all.”

And if the answering smile Matt gave him wasn’t a miracle, Foggy couldn’t imagine what could be.

 

Christmas Eve, Matt insisted he had to go to the Vigil Mass in the evening and then explained how the parishioners at his church never showed up for the Nighttime Mass, so his priest had stopped doing them.

“So, I’ll have the night free,” he said. “We can go celebrate somewhere when I come back.”

“Wish Jesus a happy birthday for me.” And then Foggy tried to figure how they should celebrate.

When Matt came back, Foggy informed him they were going out somewhere nice for dinner.

“Oh, should I be wearing a tie?” Matt asked with a teasing smile.

“Please,” Foggy scoffed. “Not that nice. I just think we should go somewhere we can sit down. It won’t be the same as Christmas dinner, but it can still be good. And this way we can have our favorite foods, and no annoying family members competing for who has the most impressive kids.”  

Matt’s mouth quirked and his blank eyes lit up.

They ended up at an Americana diner and made a dinner out of ham, mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy. Foggy described the decorations hanging in the diner and Matt looked happy, asking for more details or about things Foggy didn’t know how he knew about.

“Dude, if you like this, just wait ‘til I describe the Rockefeller tree.”

"Would you?” His face glowed like Foggy had offered him a tour of Stark Tower and a job at the fanciest, most ethical law office in New York.

“Matthew, I wouldn’t trek halfway across this island for anyone else. And this way we can get each other presents. I was going to do that over break anyway and give it to you in January.”

“Sounds great, that’s what I was going to do, too,” Matt replied, cane in hand and the other one stretched out to Foggy.

They wandered the streets of Manhattan on their way to Rockefeller Plaza from the subway. Twice, Matt stopped him to dart into a bodega and then into a store, coming out with bags that he stuffed into his coat pockets. Each time he told Foggy to turn around, as if Foggy wanted to ruin the surprise.

Just before they hit Midtown, Foggy spotted an electronics store, and dragged Matt inside with him.

“I’m not going to be the asshole who leaves their blind friend alone on the sidewalk,” he told Matt when he protested following him. “Besides, the thing I’m getting you is in a box that you can’t see anyway so we’re good.”

When he found the right section of the store, Foggy had to search the wall of products for something that matched what he’d found online.

The headphones weren’t noise cancelling, even though he knew Matt had crazy-good hearing. Because it was the main way he processed the world, Foggy thought it would be a bad idea to mute it too much. Instead, they were around-the-ear and all of the reviews he’d read praised the sound balancing and noise isolation, so Foggy hoped that was good enough for Matt to listen to lectures and some of the readings they had to do while still muffling the sounds of the dorm or the library.

It had to be better than his cheap earbuds that were always breaking. 

He found them, Matt grinned at nothing, and after he paid, they were on their way to the tree.

“Oh wow,” Foggy breathed when it came into view. Matt smiled and tipped his head toward him expectantly. It had even started to snow.

“So, it’s huge but you remember that. I think I read somewhere that it’s 72 feet tall this year.” Matt whistled low. “The lights are multi-colored and dense, I don’t see any bare patches, so kudos to the City. It looks kind of like someone put sprinkles on it, those little ball ones, and it’s like the whole tree is made of lights.”

Matt laughed. “I can picture it.”

“But the best part is definitely the star on top. It looks like it came straight out of those manger scenes. It’s a bright white spiky ball and it’s gorgeous. You’d love it.” 

“It sounds pretty,” Matt said, leaning into Foggy and sliding his hand down so their elbows were locked together and his chest pressed into Foggy’s shoulder. His expression was longing and Foggy’s chest twisted because it meant Matt was missing his eyesight. It didn’t happen often, but Foggy had learned to recognize it the few times he’d seen it.

“Not as pretty as your face,” he said. The best remedy for Matt’s tragic past was always to make him laugh, and Foggy was somehow always able to make him do it.

“You think I’m pretty?” Matt asked, pulling away only enough to stand upright. Sure enough, he was smiling.

Foggy rolled his eyes. “Everyone thinks you’re pretty, Murdock. Don’t fish for compliments.”

“You offered.”

Foggy rolled his eyes again, and then he spotted something else he thought Matt would like.

“Hot chocolate to our five o’clock, come on,” he tugged at Matt’s arm and pulled him toward the stand as Matt grinned at him.

“Do you want me to describe more of the lights as we head back?” Foggy asked. “They’re everywhere.”

“Sure,” Matt said, cradling his paper cup in his hands. He tipped toward Foggy as they walked and their shoulders bumped together. Despite it snowing, Foggy felt warm through his chest, and the night was soft in a way he hadn’t felt since he was a kid.

“The snow’s picking up, which I’m sure you can feel, but it’s softening all the lights so everything’s just kind of glowing. It’s nice. The trees along Central Park have white fairy lights in them, and you can see some of the decorations inside the apartments lining the street. Of course, there’s all the gaudy stuff, but it’ll get quieter and softer as we get closer to campus.”

Matt hummed. “Do you see any mistletoe?” he asked.

Foggy felt his heart stutter and his face felt warmer, too. “Uh, no?”

“Shame,” Matt said. The hand on Foggy’s elbow tightened and he pivoted so they were face-to-face. He gave Foggy a little smile before he ducked in and pressed his lips to Foggy’s.

Under the sudden roaring of his blood in his ears, Foggy wasn’t sure he was still thinking. All he knew was pulling Matt closer and tipping his face so their mouths fit together better. He felt Matt’s curve up into a smile against his lips, and he settled a hand against the side of Foggy’s face.

“Was that okay?” Matt asked when they parted for air. “I probably should have asked first.”

“Holy shit, Matty,” Foggy breathed, and rested his forehead against his best friend’s. He felt like his heart was beating a mile a minute and like he was in a Christmas movie. They were pressed against each other, surrounded by Christmas lights and snow, and Foggy definitely felt like he’d gotten the guy.

“Blasphemy Fog,” Matt whispered back. “And on a holy day.”

“Shut it, Murdock. Let’s go home.”

       

Christmas Day, Foggy woke up to Matt bustling around getting ready for another Mass.

“I thought if you went to one, it counted for all of them,” he grumbled from under his blankets. Colder now that Matt was gone. They’d returned to the dorm last night, set their presents aside, and it had felt weird, after walking back to campus wrapped up in each other, to separate. They’d kept all their clothes on.

“That wasn’t how the nuns saw it,” Matt replied, tying a damn tie. “It’s just a tradition for me at this point.” He shrugged self-consciously and Foggy felt his heart surge with affection. Who was he to deny Matt his Christmas traditions?

“Alright, wait for me.”

Matt looked shocked, but he was beaming, and Foggy wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him so happy.

“I’m not Catholic, but they’ll let me sit in the pews, right?”

“The more the merrier,” Matt said, his voice soft and fond. He kissed Foggy again right before they left, and then they were bustling to the closest church.

They picked up breakfast on their way back to the dorm and settled down to open presents over cinnamon rolls bigger than their heads.

Matt ran his fingers over the headphones for a long time before his face melted into a smile. It only grew when Foggy explained his motivation, and the earbuds were tossed in the garbage.

Foggy’s gift was a gift card and a two-pound gourmet chocolate bar.

“I was planning to actually get you a coffee pot in that store,” Matt pointed at the gift card. “But obviously I couldn’t carry it around last night, so now you can make sure you get a good color.”

“Aww, thanks dude. I would have loved whatever color you picked.”

Matt blushed and Foggy cupped his face in his palm to kiss him. Being allowed to do that was also a pretty great present.

 “You know, there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now,” he told Matt when he sat back. Maybe next year he’d convince Matt to come home with him, but as long as they were together it would be perfect. They had traditions of their own now.  

“Merry Christmas, Fog.”


End file.
